Apparatus for sorting granular materials of different specific gravities



April e, 1926. 1,579,993

P. F. A. C. ANDRE APPARATUS FOR S'ORTING GRANULAR MATERIALS OF DIFFERENT SPECIFIC GRAVITIES Filed Jan. .30, 1924 78 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 fl Er-l 27 y Y Way/Au wan April 6 1926. 7 1,579,993 P. F. A. c. ANDRE APPARATUS FOR son'rme GRANULAR MATERIAL-5 OFDIFFERENVT sracxmc GRAVITIES Filed Jan. 30. 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 6, 1926.

umT osTATEs PATENT OFFICE.

PAUL r. A. '0. monitor QUAREGNON, BELGIUM, nssrenon T0 soom'ri: ANONYME nns raonorrs A F ENU, or FLENU, NEAR MONS, BELGIUM.

APPARATUS FOR SORTING- GRANULAR MATERIALS OF DIFFERENT SPECIFIC GRAVITIES.

Application filed January 30, 1924. Serial No. 689,521.

7 '0 all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, PAUL F. A. C. Amine, a citizen of the Kingdom of Belgium, and resident of Quaregnon, Belgium, have invented certain new! and useful Improvements in or Relating to Apparatus for Sorting Granular Materials of Different Specific Gravities; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in-the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings. and to letters or figures of reference marked therein, which form a part of this specification. d

This invention has for its'object to provide an improved apparatus for sorting granular materials of different specific gravities such as coal, ore, cereals etc., of the type wherein the materials to be sorted are brought upon an inclined support to which alternating motion of varying velocity'and adjustable stroke is imparted and on which the materials are sorted and from which they are discharged into separate receptacles. Accordingto the invention, the support has the form of a sieve underneath which an air blast is admitted in such a manner as to impart to the said materials an ascending motion in addition to their lateral motion, the air blast being supplied continuously or in pulsations.

The distribution of the air under the sieve may be efiected by providing, underneath thelatter, vertical partitions the arrangement of which may be such that the air entering between two adjacent partitions is supplied by a special conduit the cross sectional passage area of which is capable of regulation.

The sieve may be supported at three points whose level may be adjusted in such a manner as to enable the slope of the sieve to be varied in any direction. The-sieve is provided on its upper surfacewith ribs extending in the direction of its motion and of approximately triangular cross section. These ribs are fixed on the sievein such a manner that their sides facing the direc tion of thearrival' of the materials on to the sieve, are at right angles tothe said sieve, whereas their adjacent sides are made sloping in the direction of the discharge of the materials.

Further, the cross section of the ribs may diminish towards the place where the materials of the greatest density are discharged.

For the purpose of guiding the streams of materials of dilferent natures into separate receptacles, the end walls of the sieve along which the sorted materials are discharged, are provided with regulating valves whose angular position can be varied according to the natures of the materials.

Near'the point Where the materials are poured onto the sieve, and at the side where the heaviest materials are discharged, the vertical side Wall at the said side may be made in the form of a partition of variable angular position for. the purpose of controlling and directing the discharge of the said materials.

At the places Where the heaviest materials are discharged during the sorting, there may be provided according to this invention a zone that is not subject to the action of the air blast, and the extent of which may be varied during working. For this purpose there is provided at this zone underneath the sieve a plate of metal or other material the angular position of which can be varied by hand.

The frame that supports the sieve is carried by the framework of the machine through the medium of links which in their position of rest enclose any suitable angle, including a right angle, withthe direction of the movements of the sieve in such a manner that the sieve, in addition to having a horizontal motion, receives also an ascending to-and-fro motion for promoting the action of the thrust of the air blast. The angle enclosed by the said links with the vertical may be varied during working by shifting the points of support of these links on the framework of the machine, or by varyingthe length of the driving rods.

In the case where air blastacts in a.

pulsatory manner upon the materials to be sorted, there are arran ed under the sieve a fixed .plate formed with the orifices, and a. similar second plate secured to the sieve and situated-against the first or fixed plate.

This second plate has its orifices so arranged that they will uncover the orifices of the first plate during the to-and--fro movements of the sieve.

. The relative position of one of the aforesaid plates may bevaried during working in such a manner as to regulate the admission of air blast supplied in pulsations under the sieve.

A constructional form of this invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view partly in vertical cross section of the improved apparatus illustrating the construction of the sieve and the supplying of the air in the care of a continuous air blast being employed.

Fig. 2 is a plan of the improved apparatus illustrating more particularly the manner of'actuating the sieve. Fig. 3 is a side view of a detail of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is an end view in section taken along-the line 33 of Figure 2.

Fig.5 is an elevation of a detail of Fig. .4, and Fig. 6 is an end view similar to Fig. 4, illustrating the apparatus adapted for an air blast admitted in a pulsating manner.

The improved apparatus employing acon- 'tinuous air blast is illustrated more particularly in Figures 1 to 5.

The materials to be sorted, after havingpassed if necessary tllIOllghPllIlfiQl' or, dust removing device, passes from the shoot 1 on to a sieve 2 of approximately triangular shape.

The meshes ofcthis sieve which constitute the passage ways for the air blast are sufficiently close together to prevent-the materials from passing through them. The sieve 2 is carried at three points by a frame 3 to which a rapid to-and-fro motion is imparted in an approximately horizontal .direction and approximately at right angles to the direction of the discharge of the sorted material.

The points of support for the sieve 2 are formed bypbolts 4 which are screwed into brackets 5 and rest loosely on the frame 3. Bav'this means the slope of the sieve can be a 1 usted in any direction. The sieve is provided at its upper surface with ribs 6 which extend throughout the length of the sieve and are arranged in the direction of its motion. a

These ribs have an approximately trianlar cross section and their arrangement is such that their surface that is at right angles to the sieve faces the direction of the entry of the material, whilst their adjacent face slopes in the direction of the discharge of the materials.

Further, 'the cross section of these ribs diminishes towards the laces where the heaviest materials are disc iarged.

' The air blast is supplied by the pipe 7 and enters a chamber 8 that communicates with ducts 9 through orifices that are adjustable by means of dampers 10.

The chamber 8 is stationary and therefore the connection of the ducts 9 with the movable compartments 11 is efiected by means of connecting sleeves made of rubber or impervious canvas for instance.

The compartments 11 are formed by means of vertical partitions 13 arranged under some of the ribs 6/ In addition, metallic bands 14, parallel to the partitions 13, are provided underneath each of the remaining ribs 6. By this means the air is distributed uniformly and equally underneath the various parts of the sieve.

The materials sorted according to their different sizes or weights flow alon the sieve in distinct zones the ap roximate limits of which are indicated by II, III, IV in Fig. 2, the zone I corresponding to the lightest particles, and the zone IV corresponding to the heaviest particles.

The front wall of the sieve along which thcvsortedmaterials are discharged are furnished with valves 15 of variable angular position which direct the streams of materials of different constitutions through holes valves 18 are arranged along the side walltowards which the streams of the materials of greatest specific gravity are directed, so

' that the materials that accumulate along the said walls can be discharged if desired and according to requirements.

Expemments have shown that it is advantageous at the beginning of the working of the improved apparatus to producea stream of the heaviest materials which shall flow in the zone IV in Figure 2 and which starts from the upper part of the sieve and travels along the aforesaid side wall. 111131115 manner the discharge of the heaviest particles is properly directed and confined as it were in a channel, so that from the first moment of pouring the materials on to the sieve, the said heaviest articles move towards the said stream wlthout-being first drawn towards the'zones II and III.

This preliminary -accumulation of these heaviest particles is, produced by arranging along the side wall of the sieve, close to the point where the materials are divided, a movable partition 17 adapted to pivot on a pivot pin 15, and the angular positions ofwhich are varied during the working as required.

, Thus, for the purpose of creating the aforesaid accumulation, the partition 17 .is placed close to the ends of the ribs, 6.

As soon asthis flow of the heaviest particles has been established, the said stream is deflected outwards so as to allow these particles to enter the dead zone 19 which is not subjected to the action of the air blast.

If necessary, any one or some of the valves 18 are then opened to discharge a portion of these particles through the duct 20. If the stream IV becomes too dense, the partition 17 is moved into its end position, and the excess of these particles, which would prevent the normal operation of the apparatus and 'thecontinuous discharge of the other sorted particles, is discharged through the auxiliary passage 21.

The dead zone 19'which is not subjected to the action of the air blast, may be enlarged, if desired, by arranging under the sieve a plate 31 .(Fig.,4) of metal or other substances, indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2 which is adapted to be turned around the pivot pin 32 by means of a handle 33 projecting from the front of the sieve.

igure 2 illustrates more particularly the manner of actuating the sieve. The latter is carried by the frame 3 to which there is imparted a continuous to-andfro motion from a driving shaft 22 which may receive a variable speed for instance through the medium of the device 23.

This shaft 22 carries two eccentrics which act upon the. frame 3 through the medium of connecting rods 24. The throw of these eccentrics may be varied by one of the many known devices. The connecting rods 24 are composed of two portions connected together by a screw-threaded sleeve 25 which allows of varying the length of said rods.

The frame 3 of the sieveis carried by the framework 26-of the machine by means of links 27 pivoted at both ends, which, when in a state of rest, enclose a determined angle with the framework of the machine, said angle being preferably other than at right angle. I I. i "2 :1 I

By this means, the ascending movement of the sieve in its to-and-fro motion comes in aid of the action of the air blast'for raising'the materials off the sieve, and creating the necessary joltings required for sorting them. a T v The amplitude of this ascending movement may be adjusted by varying the angle of inclinati n of the links 27 relatively to the vertical, and varying the lengthsof the connecting rods 24 by means of the sleeves 25. Likewise the supports 28 of the links 27 on the framework may be shifted by sliding these supports along screw'threaded rods 29 furnished with adjustable stop nuts 30.

Figure 6 illustrates a construction of the improved apparatus which is more particu larly designed for using an air blastfof a pulsatorv nature. For this purpose there is provide underneaththe sieve a plate 37 secured to the sieve and formed for instance with slots 38 extending transversely in relation to the direct-ionofmotioh of the sieve.

machine by supports 39.

This plate 37 moves over a corresponding plate 36 which has corresponding slots 34, and which is fixed to the framework of the By reason of the movements of the sieve, the slots 34 uncover at a given moment the "corresponding slots 38 which thereby give passage to the air that is being blown continuously underneath the sieve, and whereupon finaily the solid parts of the fixed plate 36 come over the slots of the movable plate 37 and thereby stop the. passage of the air therethrough. This device constitutes one of the many means for admitting the air in a pulsatory manner to the underside of the sieve. This device is given solely by way of example since it is obvious that any manner of producing pulsations of the air blast may be employed without departing from the nature of th present invention.

The continuous air blast may be produced by any suitable means such as fans, centrifugal blowers, motors, or the like. Moreover, the air blast may have a suitable temperature for effecting if desired th drying shape and arrangement of the parts of the improved apparatus without thereby departingvfrom the nature of this invention.

. hat I claim as m to secure by Letters atent is:

n apparatus for sorting granular mainvention and desire terials and ores, comprising, an inclined sloping sieve, longitudinal ribs provided upon the upper surface of the sieve, means for longitudinally vibrating said sieve in a direction substantially parallel to the ribs thereon, air blast means at the underside of the sieve for subjecting the materials to be sorted, in addition to its horizontal displacement, to an ascendant motion, a dead z ne formed on the sieve in the region where t e.

heaviest particles of material are discharged;-

and means for varying the area of the zone durin operational the apparatus.

. 2. n apparatus for sorting granular materials and ores, comprising, an inclined sloping sieve, longitudinal ribs provided upon the upper surface of the sieve, means for longitudinally vibrating said sievein a direction substantially parallel to the ribs thereon, air blast means at the underside of the sieve for subjecting materials to be sorted, in addition to its horizontal displacement, to an ascendant motion, a dead zone formed on the sieve .in the regionwhere the heaviest particlesof material are discharged, means for varying the area of the zone during operation of the apparatus, comprising a movable plate positioned beneath the sieve.

3. An apparatus for sorting granular materials and ores, comprising, an inclined sloping sieve, longitudinal ribs provided on the upper surface of the sieve, an air tank wherein is admitted a continuous blast of .air, means disposed directly adjacent and underneath the sieve for transforming said continuous blast delivered to the air tank into a blast from th tank delivered in successive pulsations, said means comprising, a first fixed slotted plate positioned directly beneath the sieve, and a second slotted plate beneath, and fixed to, the sieve, the slots of the said plates being caused to register intermittently by reciprocating movement of the sieve.

4. An apparatus for sorting granular materials and ores, comprising, an inclined sloping sieve, longitudinal ribs provided on the upper surface of the sieve, an air tank wherein is admitted a continuous blast of air, means disposed directly adjacent and underneath the'sieve for transforming said continuous blast delivered to the air tankinto a blast from the tank delivered in successive pulsations, said means comprising, a first fixed slotted plate positioned directly beneath the sieve, and a second slotted plate beneath, and fixed to, the sieve, the slots of the plates being caused to register intermit- PAUL F. C. ANDRE. 

